homo
homo Lexical Profile
homo Game Scores & Validity
• noun
(often capitalized) The taxonomic genus of hominids in the family Hominidae that includes modern humans (Homo sapiens) and several extinct ancestral and closely related species characterized by bipedalism and large brain size.
"Fossil evidence from East Africa helped paleoanthropologists trace the evolutionary emergence of the genus Homo."
(slang, derogatory, offensive) A homosexual person, especially a gay man.
"The league imposed strict penalties on players who used the slur homo during matches."
Canadian (informal) Homogenized whole milk containing 3.25% milk fat.
"She picked up a carton of homo milk at the corner grocery store for her morning coffee."
• adjective
(slang, derogatory, offensive) Homosexual; relating to or characteristic of homosexuality.
"The student was suspended for directing a derogatory homo remark at a classmate."
Word Nuance & Usage
In scientific contexts (normally capitalized as Homo), this word derives from the Latin noun for 'human' or 'man'. As an informal clipping of 'homosexual' (built on the Greek prefix homo- meaning 'same'), it is widely considered a derogatory slur in modern English.
• Rhymes for homo
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
In biological taxonomy, borrowed from the Latin noun homo ('human being, man'). In its informal senses, formed as a 20th-century clipping of 'homosexual' (from Greek homos, meaning 'same') or 'homogenized'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.